Oct 12 letters to the editor

The recent article "California gas prices hit record high for third straight day" missed pointing out that there is hope on the horizon.

Paying high gas prices while oil companies make record profits seems unfair, but at least our state is doing something about it.

California's clean-fuel standards are already bringing the next generation of cleaner, more fuel-efficient cars to market, some of which use no gas at all. This will help break the control that oil companies have over the market and move our state toward a clean-energy future.

I work with California Interfaith Power & Light and hundreds of faith communities that support California's clean energy and climate laws.

Stewardship of the Earth is an essential part of religious observance and these new policies will help us become better stewards. Clean fuel and clean energy are good for our health as well as our pocketbooks, and we look forward to these standards being implemented.

As an Alamedan, I would like to support a fellow Alamedan for elected office. I simply cannot do so.

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Bonta wants to leave his City Council seat only months after winning it. I am suspicious of politicians who too eagerly jump from one post to another. It seems their ambition is bigger than their desire to serve the public that elected them.

I am also distrustful of our elected leaders who don't take the time or make the effort to return phone calls to constituents who reach out to them, which is the experience I had with Bonta.

My vote goes to Guillen. He is a community-spirited man who will serve Alameda and the 18th District with integrity and the respect it deserves. I saw Guillen's passion when, as a member of the Peralta Community College Board of Trustees, he fought to keep my son's preschool open at the College of Alameda. I will always appreciate the commitment he showed.

I wholeheartedly endorse Abel Guillen and will vote for him Nov. 6.

Angie Watson-Hajjem

Alameda

We are what we eat, which is why we're fat

Everyone is talking about the national obesity problem, a rise in childhood diabetes, high blood pressure and the risks associated with being overweight. Even the Department of Defense says obesity is a concern for national security.

I can tell you why obesity is running amok in this country. We are what we eat, or rather, we are what we are fed.

In the 1970s, we began to experiment with genetically modifying grain crops, including the protein genes of corn designed to be used as feed for the cattle industry. In other words, this corn makes cows fat.

Thirty percent of the corn is used to make high-fructose corn syrup. Remember we are what we are fed.

GMO corn makes animals fat. This same corn is used to make high-fructose corn syrup, which is in everything -- low-fat salad dressing, breads and cereals, almost all processed foods, barbecue sauce, ketchup, peanut butter and jelly, ice cream and, yes, soda pop.

We are obese because we are fed foods that were designed to make things fat.

Paul Little

Alameda

Oakland Zoo's purpose is more expansion

Measure A1 is a carefully worded, devious instrument. It permits the Oakland Zoo to deviate from its stated financial intent with impunity.

Both the Zoo's Measure A1 parcel tax plea and mailed campaign material are extremely careful to avoid even the slightest hint that the real need for the solicited funds is to further finance the zoo's planned massive expansion into Knowland Park.

If Measure A1 passes, it will free up those currently budgeted funds intended for food and care to be used instead for the foray into Knowland Park.

To destroy the habitat of thousands of wild creatures to capture and display in cages a sampling of each, touting conservation and care as being the need for the extra funds is hypocrisy.

Homeowners have learned to live in harmony with our frequent wild visitors. When their habitat is destroyed, they will roam our streets in bewilderment and become potential roadkill. This is cruelty.

The planned campgrounds border on obscenity. Why would anyone destroy a large part of a beautiful, pristine area in the name of conservation and education?

Mary Nielsen

Oakland

President should be hounded out of office

While the cover up after the slayings in Libya was disgusting and the statements about the video inflamed the situation worldwide, the actions that led up to it were reprehensible and inexcusable.

Any president who is a mere mortal rather than the liberal media's anointed second coming of the Messiah would be hounded out of office over the murderous act of sending the ambassador to Benghazi without proper protection or even allowing him to go at all. This over any other campaign issue is reason that President Barack Obama must go.

Bob Rickman

Benicia

election day LETTERS
Our deadline for receiving Election Day-related letters is Oct. 26. The last day Election Day-related letters will be published is Nov. 2.